Surgical dressing



Patented Aug. 16, 1932' UNITED. STATES- PATENT, OFFICE SURGICAL DRESSINGN 0 Drawing. Application filed March 8,

This invention relates to surgical dressings, bandages or receptors madeof or containing organic derivatives of cellulose.

An object of my invention is to provide surgical dressings of all kinds,which dressings contain a textile material that is relativelynonabsorbent with respect to blood, pus, etc.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

Surgical bandages and dressings are orchnarily made of materials such ascotton that tend to absorb blood, pus and other secretions. The use ofsuch absorbent material in that part of the bandage that comes incontact with the skin or flesh is objectionable, since the blood and theother fluids absorbed by the bandage coagulate or otherwise harden andcause the bandage to adhere rather firmly to the skin or flesh, so thatthe removal of the bandage .or dressing causes unnecessary pain andsufi'ering.

I have found that fabrics containing yarns of organic derivatives ofcellulose, and particularly cellulose acetate, tend to absorb blood orpus but little, if at all, and therefore their use as at least part ofsurgical dressings of all kinds obviate the disadvantages attending theuse of absorbent material for this purpose.

In accordance with my invention, I prepare surgical dressings, bandages,receptors, etc. of all kinds, by the use of a textile material made ofor containing organic derivatives of. cellulose. The surgical dressingneed not consist wholly of organic derivatives of cellulose material butmay also contain cotton or other absorbent material as a part thereof.

I In one form of my invention, the surgical dressing may comprise gauzeor other woven or knitted fabric containing yarns or filaments oforganic derivatives of cellulose, and

may be applied directly to the wound or other opening of the body thatis bleeding or secret-- ing or excreting fluids.

In another form of my invention the surgical dressing or receptor may bemade with a filling of flufled filaments or yarns made of organicderivatives of cellulose, enclosed in a fabric containing organicderivatives of cel- 1928. Serial No. 260,251.

lulose. In other words, a surgical dressing may be made wholly oforganic derivatives of cellulose, wherein the required absorbentproperties for the retention of the blood, pus, secretions or excretionsis obtained by the intersticial spaces between the flufled yarns orfilaments but which has a relatively nonabsorbent face for contactingwith the skin or flesh.

In another form of my invention, a surgi-' cal dressing is prepared in acomposite man ner. Such dressing may be built up when being applied tothe patient by first applying a layer of gauze or other woven or knittedfabric containing yarns or filaments of organic derivatives of celluloseand then superposing thereon one or more layers of material containingmore absorbent substances such as cotton, gauze, raw cotton, speciallytreated cellulosic material, etc. Or else the dressing or receptor maybe made separately by wrapping such more absorbent material with a wovenor knitted fabric containing organic derivatives of cellulose.

Obviously other methods may be used for preparing the surgical dressingor receptor, since the foregoing descriptions are merely given by way ofexample. It will be seen that the surgical dressings made in accordancewith my invention may, be readily removed from the skin or flesh, sincethe layer of the same that comes in contact with the skin or fleshcontains organic derivatives of cellulose, which are relativelynon-absorbent with respect to blood, pus or other body secretions orexcretions so that these fluids are not absorbed to coagulate orotherwise harden to cause adherence of the bandage to the 4 skin orflesh.

An important application of my invention is in the preparation ofsurgical dressings known as catamenial packs or pads which may be madeby any of the methods above described. Moreover, because of theirnonabsorbent qualities, the organic derivative of cellulose textilematerials are eminently suited for the preparation of belts or supportsfor such catamenial' packs or pads, since any secretions or excretionsthat may be retained by them may be readily removed by washing. Suchcatamenial pads, belts or supports are included in the term, surgicaldressings.

Of the organic derivatives of cellulose that 5 may be used for thepreparation of the filaments, yarns or fabrics above described, I preferthe cellulose acetate. However, other organic esters of cellulose suchas the formate, propionate and butyrate or. cellulose ethers such asmethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose may be used forthe purpose. By the term organic derivative of cellulose employed in theclaims, I means such organic esters of cellulose and cellulose ethers.

It is to be understood that the foregoing details are given merely byway of illustration and that many variations may be made therein withoutdeparting from the go-spirit of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A surgical dressing having the surface thereof that is adapted tocontact with the body made of a fabric consisting essentially of organicderivative of cellulose filaments or yarns and having a layer of moreabsorbent material.

2. A surgical dressing having the surface thereof that is adapted tocontact with the body made of a fabric consisting essentially ofcellulose acetate filaments or yarns and having a layer of moreabsorbent material.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

(JAMILLE DREYFUS.

